| Hit Dice: | 6d8+18 (45 hp) |
| Initiative: | +6 |
| Speed: | 40 ft. (8 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 24 (−1 size, +2 Dex, +13 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 22 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +6/+14 |
| Attack: | Hoof +9 melee (1d8+4 plus 1d4 fire) |
| Full Attack: | 2 hooves +9 melee (1d8+4 plus 1d4 fire) and bite +4 melee (1d8+2) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Flaming hooves, smoke |
| Special Qualities: | Darkvision 60 ft. |
| Saves: | Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6 |
| Abilities: | Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12 |
| Skills: | Concentration +12, Knowledge (the planes) +10, Listen +12, Move Silently +11, Search +10, Sense Motive +10, Spot +12, Survival +10 (+12 on other planes and following tracks); racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Improved Initiative, Run |
| Environment: | Gray Waste of Hades |
| Organization: | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating: | 4 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Always neutral evil |
| Advancement: | 7–10 HD (Large); 11–18 HD (Huge) ♊ |
| Level Adjustment: | +3 |
At first glance, this creature looks like a large, powerful horse with a jet-black coat. A closer look, however, reveals its true nature. Flames wreathe its steely hooves, trail from its flared nostrils, and smolder in the depths of its dark eyes.
Lesser nightmares are as evil as their more well-known brethren, but not as accomplished at plane-hopping.
A lesser nightmare is about the size of a light warhorse.
Lesser nightmares understand Infernal and Abyssal, but speak no languages themselves.
Biting with its viperish fangs and kicking with its powerful legs is a lesser nightmare’s best option in a fight. A lesser nightmare can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also fight unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.
A lesser nightmare’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Flaming Hooves (Su): A blow from a lesser nightmare’s hooves sets combustible materials alight.
Smoke (Su): During the excitement of battle, a lesser nightmare snorts and neighs with rage. This snorting fills a 15-foot cone with a hot, sulfurous smoke that chokes and blinds opponents. Anyone in the cone must succeed on a DC 16 Fortitude save or take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and damage rolls until 1d6 minutes after leaving the cone. The cone lasts for 1 round, and a nightmare uses it once as a free action during its turn each round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Because of the smoke it gives off, a nightmare has concealment against creatures 5 feet away and total concealment against creatures 10 feet or farther away. The smoke does not obscure the nightmare’s vision at all.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for a lesser nightmare is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301–600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601–900 pounds.
Skills: A lesser nightmare always knows where true north lies in relation to itself.
A lesser nightmare makes a fine fiendish servant for a blackguard. Reduce the bonus Hit Dice gained by the lesser nightmare by 2 (for example, a lesser nightmare that serves a blackguard with a character level of 12th or lower has +0 bonus Hit Dice). Treat the blackguard’s character level as two lower than normal for the purpose of the lesser nightmare’s bonus Hit Dice, natural armor adjustment, Strength adjustment, and special abilities.
Source: Planar Handbook, page 127.